Questions?
Oh, you have questions, do you? Well… you came to the right place then.
I’m not sure if you want to get to know me...
But if you insist, I was born with spice running through my veins. When I was a young boy, my father used to make a simple beverage comprising black tea leaves, milk, ginger and sugar. It was that drink that birthed my thirst for sweet and spicy tea.
So no, unlike some others, I didn’t go to India to find myself and have an Eat, Pray, Love moment with my discovery of Chai. I'm not that wanker.
When Chai was first introduced commercially to the Australian market, it set the precedent for tepid, bland concoctions devoid of flavour, heat, and balance. It pandered to a sub-section of the market that was beige and apologetic about not drinking coffee. The Chai Villain was thence born out of necessity - to bring the public a Chai that they deserve. A Chai that sparks passion and indulgence. A Chai that is unapologetic and unafraid.
It is time to make Chai great aga... um no we're not going there.
TL/DR - I'm some dude that loves Chai who wants to share his love for a cup of indulgent, bold and spicy Chai with you.
Read our Manifesto to learn more about what makes us tick.
No one likes ordering a Chai latte and being served a cup of steamed milk with a bit cinnamon dusted on top. You deserve better. Chai should be bold, voluptuously titillating and invigorating.
This is just the type of experience you will get when you put your lips to a warm cup of The Chai Villain's Sticky Chai Blends. Here are 6 reasons why you'd love it.
1. It is handmade in small batches in Australia. Each batch is made with the care and tenderness one might expect bestowed upon a wee child. We take what we do very seriously and we want every cup to be perfect. By drinking our Chai, you're also supporting small local business. Go you.
2. It is made with only the best ingredients like Organic Assam Black Tea, Organic Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey, Organic Coconut Flower Nectar, Ceylon Cinnamon and Australian Pink Salt. If there's one thing you need to know about any of these ingredients, it's that they're not cheap. These ingredients have been specially sourced for their flavour, their health benefits and their impact on the environment. We're not messing around. We only want the best ingredients in our Chai because it's what you deserve.
3. It made from ethically-sourced ingredients. Indian tea and spice plantations are rife with human rights violations and modern slavery. If a Chai company does not expressly state that they're sourcing their ingredients ethically, they aren't. Or they're ignorant- which is worse. All our providers aer carefully vetted in order to ensure we are not in any way supporting the slave trade.
4. We are passionate about our impact on the environment. The Chai Villain's Sticky Chai Blend is packaged in LDPE bags that are fully recyclable. Once you're done with your bag, take your bag down to the REDcycle drop-off point at your local Coles or Woolies. We are in the process of switching over to compostable bags, which are significantly pricier, but we think is worth it. We also use 100% carbon-neutral shipping services, and if you live in a metro area, the satchels your order will be shipped in are compostable. Feed it to the worms!
5. We are POC-owned and operated. Masala Chai comes from India, where it has a long cultural history. Our Indian ethnicity is a stamp of authenticity. Chai isn't real if it isn't made by a person who is of Indian origin.
6. It's the only Chai that is as spicy as I am. It all comes down to flavour. You will not find another Chai Blend in the market that is as bold, balanced, and invigorating as ours are.
Read our Manifesto to learn more about what makes us tick.
If you’re looking for a “Chai tea”, please stop. Stop calling it that. It's just Chai. Chai means “tea”. You don’t have to say it twice. We heard you.
Back to your (ridiculous) question. Chai is a spiced tea. Think of the nicest English Breakfast tea you've had, but this one's got a perfectly-balanced blend of spices mixed into it. And it's already pre-sweetened with honey or coconut flower nectar. Yes. It's spicy and insanely delicious.
There are several ways to prepare The Chai Villain's Sticky Chai Blends but we love drinking it in the form of a chai latte.
If you're making it at home, add 1 tbsp (or more if you're bad) of Chai Blend to 300ml of your choice of cold milk/mylk. Place the pot over the stove, bring it to a simmer and then kill the heat. Let it sit for 4 minutes to get all the flavours infused. Strain, and drink.
If you're using a steam wand, add 1 tbsp of Chai Blend to 300ml of cold milk/mylk. Steep, strain and serve.
If you somehow find that your Chai is too strong for you, use less Chai Blend next time (and hey, it'll last you a lot longer too). We won't tell anyone.
On warm days, try it chilled. Or try our Cold Brew Method for a cool, refreshing yet spicy vibe. Or if you're feeling bad, make Chai-Infused Vodka. Have it neat, or in one of our delicious cocktails.
Absolutely! We source all our ingredients from reputable spice and tea plantations who are committed to ethical farming practices in the areas of recruitment, fair wages, worker health and safety, and worker wellbeing. The Indian and Sri Lankan tea and spice industry is rife with human rights violations such as human trafficking, slave labour, child labour, and debt bondage.
Chai companies that do not expressly state that they source their ingredients ethically are part of the problem. The Chai Villain is against modern slavery in India and Sri Lanka and all our direct suppliers are required to sign our declaration against modern slavery.
Yes. It's tea, spices, honey and salt. No bread in it, so you're safe.
Yes. The Chai Villain's Sticky Chai Blends are made with Organic Black Tea, which contains between 20mg to 50mg of caffeine per 100g. Check out our article on Caffeine to find out more.